Naruto Drabbles and Short Stories
by Queen Readalot
Summary: A bunch of short stories on every Naruto episode. Episode 11: The Land Where a Hero Once Lived. "That boy wasn't a hero! He didn't do anything cool!" Kaiza laughed."All heroes start somewhere, Inari." Rated T for swear words and some blood.ON HOLD FOR NOW
1. Episode 1: Enter Naruto Uzumaki!

(A/N: Hi! Well, I'm actually writing something else. Isn't that great? *ducks rotten tomatoes* OK, I'm sorry if you don't like my writing! Hope this is better!

This is basically going to be a bunch of drabbles and ficlets on every single Naruto episode. I'm using episodes because there are more of them, and they are longer. I'm going to be taking quotes, events, actions, etc from each episode and expand on them. If I don't get many hits or reviews I'll just stop it. Why? Because there are over 400 (I think) Naruto episodes to date and it's barely half finished. So yeah, it's going to be a lot of writing.

Anywhos, enough of this boring author's note, and on with the story! :D)

**Disclaimer: **No, I do not own Naruto. Wish I did, but I don't.

Enter: Naruto Uzumaki!

Naruto walked through the busy streets of Konohagakure, weaving in between people and heading over to the little apartment where he lived.

This seemed to be a normal occurrence. However, for Naruto, the day had not been normal at all.

You could tell from the look on his face; the way he scrunched up his eyes and stared down at the ground, not really paying attention to his surroundings. If you knew Naruto, you would know what that particular gesture meant.

Naruto Uzumaki was in deep thought.

Again, if you knew Naruto (not many do), you would be able to tell that this was indeed not normal. Naruto never thought about anything. Not visibly, anyway.

Tonight, however, was an exception. There were a number of reasons for this.

First off, Naruto now wore a Leaf forehead protector. This meant he was now a ninja. This was something he'd been yearning to be for a very long time.

He wasn't as excited as you'd think, though. The reason for that was the reason he was in deep thought, and the second reason why today was such a special day to him.

It was the day he finally discovered why everybody hated him.

Naruto supposed he should be worried about this little revelation. The fact that he was the container of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the nine-tailed demon fox that had attacked Konoha twelve years ago, should have brought up a whole range of emotions. Anger, fear, depression, worry, maybe even hate towards his beloved village.

But Naruto didn't feel any of that. Not strongly, anyway.

He had asked the Third about it. The Third had been kind, and had explained exactly what he was and what he contained.

So that was fine. Maybe that was why he wasn't so worried about the whole thing.

Naruto strongly suspected, however, that the reason he was so calm was because this revelation had explained all these strange little quirks he had.

The whiskers, for one. He'd always wondered where he got them. He supposed now that they were from the fox.

Also, that little voice he would sometimes hear at the back of his head, the one that he had thought was his "bad side" trying to get him to do things he hadn't wanted to do, was now revealed for what it really was.

This part actually kind of scared Naruto. He'd been talking to the fox his whole life without knowing it.

He was actually kind of freaked out about the whole thing. He was feeling kind of lonely at the moment. He also didn't know what to do. Should he just get on with his life normally, knowing what was inside him?

Naruto arrived home, entering his tiny apartment and slumping onto his bed. He stared at the leaf symbol poster hanging behind his bed.

His resolve suddenly strengthened.

He was going to be Hokage, wasn't he?

So he had better shape up and work hard to earn the village's acceptance.

Naruto then realized something very important. The village's treatment of him was because of the fox. The fox was the reason the village hated him.

He smiled; feeling like a weight had been taken off his shoulders.

"I haven't done anything wrong." He whispered to himself. "They hate the fox, not me. They don't hate me."

He stared up at the ceiling.

Well, he would just have to prove to them he was his own person.

Now, he was on the way of doing this. He would be put in a team of his own, and would earn their respect before moving on to the others. His team might even become his friends.

Naruto looked at his forehead protector. Yup, life was going to turn fine.

Because he wasn't hated. Because he wasn't a demon fox.

He was Naruto Uzumaki.

(A/N: I've always wondered why Naruto never really thought about having the fox sealed in him besides the moments he was told. This is what I think happened. Hope you liked it! :)

Wow...that came out a lot longer then I planned! OK, please review and tell me if I should continue or not! And I did get a lot of very...interesting *ahem* reviews on my other story. Not really the kind I had been expecting.

So...til next time! Review!)


	2. Episode 2: My Name Is Konohamaru!

(A/N: Here's chapter 2! I'm going to update these fairly quickly, but I can't make any promises. There will be at least one update a week.

Enjoy the story!)

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto. If I did, I would write longer chapters and actually get on with the story *ahem*

My Name is Konohamaru!

Konohamaru dangled from the grip of the newly-made genin.

He wasn't scared. This guy didn't intimidate him much. He was blonde, rather short, and seemed to be pretty stupid.

Anyway, he wouldn't dare hurt him now that he'd found out who he was.

Konohamaru normally didn't like to play the "I'm the Third's grandson" card. But a situation like this called for it. It was worth risking his identity as a person to see the look on this guy's face.

Although Konohamaru did feel a tiny tinge of regret. This one had been very outspoken, he would have been fun to talk too.

Drawing himself up, he looked straight into the Genin's blue eyes, and said with a smirk "What's the matter? Why don't you hit me if you can! You're no match for a grandson of a Hokage!"

He was prepared for the genin to drop him, to start apologizing, to bask in the glow of his Honorable Grandson-ness…

"Like I care about that! You idiot!"

A loud whack disturbed the silence, and a searing pain welled up on Konohamaru's head.

He fell to the floor, feeling completely lost.

This guy…he didn't care?

Konohamaru was now intrigued. He really wanted to know more about this Genin.

What had his grandfather called him? Naruto?

He would find out what made this "Naruto" guy tick. Because if he would whack the grandson of the Hokage in the presence of said Hokage, he had some guts.

And, despite himself, Konohamaru felt a sense of growing respect.

Little did he know that he was looking at the future of Konoha, one of the greatest ninja the village had ever seen. Little did he know he was looking at his future big brother.

(A/N: How was that? Was it too sappy? Tell me please, and REVIEW!)


	3. Episode 3: Sasuke and Sakura

(A/N: Hi guys! OK, I'm skipping into a kind-of-romance/humor genre. Now, featuring the two characters that TRULY deserve each other, Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno!

Sasuke: What?

Sakura: You heard her, Sasuke-kun! We belong together!

Sasuke: NOO! DARN YOU SMILEY!

Smiley: hehe :)

On with the story!)

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto, ok? WHY MUST YOU REMIND ME OF THE FACT! *in denial* WHY?

Sasuke and Sakura: Friends or Foes?

"Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke's eye twitched.

"Stay calm." He told himself. "Think of avenging, think of Itachi, think of your family.."

"Sasuke-kun!" Said the annoying pink..thing.

"Stay calm…" Sasuke thought to himself again.

As you can see, it was just another normal day in the Leaf Village.

With one exception: Sasuke has been made a Genin.

It had been a wonderful moment for him. It was like a sign, like he was now worthy of taking down Itachi, his brother.

Although, Sasuke had decided, he was still a long way from there. He needed to get into ANBU first, right now if he wanted to beat Itachi's record, to even begin to consider fighting him.

And as for getting into ANBU, he would be able to do so easily enough. He was a ninja now, wasn't he? He knew some techniques; he just needed to learn a little more.

Then Sasuke had been brought out of his musings by a very excited pink haired female.

"Sasuke-kun!" She squealed again. "I hope I get to be on your team!"

Sasuke snorted. His team? Yeah, right. Pigs will fly before he will ever be matched up with THIS thing…

Sasuke's mind backtracked. Hold on…team?

"Team?" He said out loud, somehow retaining his look of indifference.

"Yes!" Sakura gushed happily, ecstatic that her crush was finally talking to her. "I hope we get to be on the same Genin team! We have to be in three-man cells, though." Her face darkened at the thought. Then she smiled 'Don't worry, we'd be able to ditch the other one easily!"

Sasuke twitched in horror, not paying attention to the last part of her speech.

Three-man cells? Genin team?

A CHANCE SAKURA MIGHT BE ON HIS TEAM?

He'd completely forgotten about the teams of three in his musings. And he had just realized that there was a very big chance Sakura would be put on his team. She was the smartest girl in his class, after all. And his team would be comprised of the best; there was no doubt about that. His teammates had to be the two that were able to keep up with him.

He only hoped that they wouldn't slow him down.

The next day:

Sasuke sat down, in a seemingly contemplative state, waiting for Iruka to start calling names from the team register. He was interested, despite himself, in who he would be teamed up with.

His eyes were roaming the classroom, searching out each individual with a practiced eye. Who would be on his team? Probably someone from a distinguished clan, like the Nara or the Aburame. From the kunoichi, it would either be the Yamanaka girl, Sakura Haruno, or the Hyuuga. He hoped it would be the Aburame and the Hyuuga, as everyone else was just too loud or, in the kunoichi's case, had an intense crush on him.

Iruka calmed the class down, and began to read from the register. Sasuke waited for his name to appear, noting the pink-haired girl beside him was shaking with anticipation, and the blond boy to her right was leaning forward eagerly.

Sasuke snorted to himself. These two were much too hyper. They probably wouldn't get very far as ninja. Especially Naruto, the dead-last. That loser had had the gall to get right up in his face, resulting in a very embarrassing episode Sasuke really didn't want to think about right now.

Nothing interesting happened until Iruka reached the seventh team on his list.

"Team Seven will be Naruto Uzumaki," he began, and Sasuke saw Naruto tense up.

"Sakura Haruno,"

"YES!" Naruto yelled, shooting up from his seat, while Sakura slumped down in a very depressed way.

Sasuke was relieved. That got these two out of the way; he really didn't want to be teamed up with either. There was no way this team would work out if he were put into it.

"and Sasuke Uchiha!"

WHAT!

Sasuke stifled the groan that attempted to come out of his mouth.

He was doomed, getting into ANBU was definitely out of the question now. It would take much longer to get to the level he hoped to reach.

"Sasuke-kun! I'm on your team? Isn't that great?"

"Damn it Uchiha, I'll beat you someday, just wait!"

Sasuke gritted his teeth. These two were definitely going to slow him down. After all, who wants to be on a team with two people who will never, ever catch up to him?

(A/N: Well..how was it? Funny enough? By the way, no characters were bashed in the making of this story. This is purely from Sasuke's perspective; it's how he views his team in the beginning.

Did anyone like that little bit of irony in the last sentence? I love those little ironic foreshadowing moments. Anywho, until next time! REVIEW!)


	4. Episode 4: Pass or fail: Survival Test!

(A/N: Hi! WOW! I've had many more hits and reviews than I thought! I guess I'm continuing on with this…

And I'd like to thank **unnie is here**, **misstressinwaiting**, **Naruto98**, and **Bulla49** for your reviews. Thanks guys!

By the way, to the people who are only up to this point in the episodes, there are going to be MAJOR spoilers. I'm going to mention stuff that happens in the Shippuden timeline, as well as some events before the timeskip.

Anyways, here I'm using one of my favorite quotes from Naruto. I was debating whether to use one of the character's self-introductions, but then decided I would use this instead because I like it. Enjoy!)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto. Do I seem like a 20-30 year old Japanese guy to you?

Pass or Fail: Survival Test

"A ninja must see through deception."

Kakashi didn't know why this concept was so hard for his Genin to understand. Naruto found it especially difficult. It seemed that when Kakashi had said that to him, it had been the first time he had ever heard it. Sakura had fallen for an extremely obvious genjutsu, despite being the smartest girl in her class. Sasuke thought himself above his teammates and couldn't see past their faults, effectively failing to see their true natures.

All in all, they didn't understand the true meaning of the basic concept of being a ninja. Kakashi knew he would have to work hard to teach them that flashy techniques do not make one a ninja.

The days turned into months, and Kakashi taught all sorts of things to his students. He taught them tree-climbing, a more advanced form of taijutsu, and whole range of different skills that every Genin knew. They also learnt things he did not teach them; important life lessons that they learnt on missions and from each other. But they still did not know the basic rule. They still did not understand that a ninja had to see through deception, as they lived believing the foggy truths the ninja world had told them.

Kakashi had given up on trying to teach them about deception a long time ago. He knew now it was something they had to learn for themselves. It was quite worrying that it was taking this long, though.

Then, everything had fallen apart. Sasuke had left, destroying the teamwork that they all had worked so hard to perfect, and destroying the trust this team had gained. Naruto had vowed to get stronger, and had left them behind to train with Jiraiya. Sakura threw herself into her medical studies, and had worked hard to be recognized as one of the best medical-ninja in the village.

They had come together again, almost three years later, and Kakashi could see they had grown up a lot. What surprised him was that they still did not understand the true meaning of deception.

Then, months later, he realized something.

He realized something while he was carrying Naruto back to the village. Naruto had just defeated Pain, and the whole village was waiting for him. They were waiting to welcome him as a hero.

Kakashi realized that Naruto had become an excellent ninja. Perhaps the best that ever was.

Why?

Because even though Naruto did not figure out that a ninja had to see through deception, and probably never would know, he had surpassed that.

After all, why would you have to see through what you have become?

Why would you see through deception if you have become the ultimate deceiver?

Naruto had reached a level no shinobi had reached before. He had become the deception in his fights. His enemies had to see through him, to calculate his moves, to wonder what he was going to do next.

Kakashi knew Naruto was going to show them all the true meaning of deception, and the true way of the ninja. He would just have to wait for that day to come.

Kakashi had no doubt that it would.

(A/N: Woah…was that a teeny bit too heavy? I don't know if this was my best story, but it turned out ok in the end, I guess. Ah, well. REVIEW! Please tell me if this was good or bad, I need to know if I should continue in this style or not.)


	5. Episode 5: Kakashi's Final Desicion!

(**A/N**: On with another chapter! I think we all know the featured quote in this one. This is one of THE BEST quotes in the series, hands down. It's a bit overdone, but I'll try to spice it up a bit.

There will be some Kakashi Gaiden spoilers here. If you don't know who Obito is, this is definitely a spoiler. Just a warning to those who haven't gotten that far.

Thanks to everyone who read this story, and thank you **BKwriter** for reviewing! Enjoy!)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto. If I did, I would definitely be working on the newest chapter so it would be out as soon as possible. I would also make the chapters a LOT longer.

You Failed! Kakashi's Final Decision

Obito Uchiha was angry. Very angry.

Why? There were a multitude of reasons.

First of all, Obito was dead. He'd been dead for about 16 years now, give or take. Being dead certainly did not do very much to improve one's mood.

Second, he was stuck with only Rin and Minato-sensei for company. That was not too bad, but they never took the bait for an argument. He was going crazy with boredom; he had nobody to argue against. He had to wait until Kakashi died to get any form of decent arguing around here.

Third, and most important, he was incredibly furious and annoyed at the aforementioned person.

It had started off as a mild anger. He'd gotten irritated because it looked like Kakashi was going to fail yet another Genin team. This one had Sasuke Uchiha, a distant cousin of his and one of the last of the clan, as one of the members. Not only that, but this team had Minato-sensei's son on it too! Naruto was almost a carbon copy, in looks anyway, of his old sensei. Obito was sure Minato-sensei was watching too, and had a feeling that if Kakashi didn't pass Naruto, he would meet a very angry father when he died. Not that that looked like it was going to happen anytime soon.

Anyway, he was watching the Genin's performance, half angry and half amused, and they reached the point where one of them got tied to the stump. Obito knew this section all too well, as it had been him who was tied to the stump when his team got tested. This time, it was poor Naruto who was subjected to that treatment.

Obito watched as Sasuke and the girl fed Naruto with approval. When Kakashi showed up and passed them, he felt happy. Kakashi's first team would make him proud; he could tell that they were a strong bunch.

THEN Kakashi did the deed that made Obito so angry.

After he gave the team the "importance of teamwork" speech, he added a little something at the end that made Obito hopping mad.

Kakashi looked up at the sky, all epic like, and said in a serious voice "In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum. This is true. But, those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."

Obito's mouth fell open, and he looked quite like a fish when he did that. He was staring incredulously at where Kakashi was standing. Then his ears started turning red, and he you could practically see the smoke coming out of his ears.

Kakashi had ripped off on HIS LINE! He didn't even mention that it wasn't his line to begin with! The little Genin where all looking at him with awed looks on their faces, all impressed that their sensei could come up with such cool-sounding quotes. Kakashi delivered that line perfectly too, dramatically and at just the right time. It wasn't HIS LINE to deliver in such an awesome way, DAMNIT!

Obito could practically see the guy smirking, his head thrown up at the sky. Even when Obito was dead, Kakashi would always find a way to get one up on him. He didn't even give him any credit for his super-awesome quote! He acted like he made it up himself, the prick. Boy, Obito was going to have a few words with him when he got here.

"He even recited it word-for-word, that snob.." Obito muttered to himself darkly. "If I had stayed alive, it would have been me those kids would be looking up to."

Obito realized how much of a prick he himself sounded at the moment, so he cut off that train of thought. He then smiled slowly, understanding something else that made his anger abate.

"You really lived by what I told you, huh Kakashi?" He said quietly. "Well then if it means so much to you, I hereby give you permission to use that quote whenever you want. Pass on those ideals to your students. Just…remember me, ok?"

Down below, a startled silver head shot up and stared at the sky. Then the masked figure shrugged the strange feeling off, and found himself mouthing an answer he didn't know he had...

_Always._

Obito gave a small grin. "Teach 'em well, Kakashi." He said. "Teach 'em well."

(**A/N**: How was that? Good enough? I do love Obito, he influenced a whole lot of Kakashi that makes him such an awesome guy today. I love their friendship; it would have been a great one if he didn't die.

Sorry for the late update. It was exam week, and it was BRUTAL. But it's over, and I'm sure I did ok, so it's all good now.

So anyways, review please! And keep up with the chapters/episodes in the canon, (especially those who've read chapters 515-516 know what I mean. Wow.)

See you next time! :D)


	6. Opening 1: ROCKS!

(**A/N**: Hi! Yes, I decided to include the opening and ending themes in this as well! It's going to be a songfic type thing, and it's going to have a small story to go with each opening. The lyrics will be shown in the beginning, and I'll reference to them in each story. Each opening and ending will come before their respective episodes, so at the end of a season there will be an opening and an ending theme.

I'm going to follow this with the first ending theme, and then back to episode six. I'm going to include OVAs, movies, and fillers in this as well.

Thanks to **misstressinwaiting**, **Anivla01**, **BKwriter**, **Bulla49, **and **PuppetMaster55** for leaving reviews! I have review responses at the end from the previous chapter.

Anyways, enjoy! :D )

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto. If I did, I would be making Naruto use Sage Mode a lot more. Along with the cloak and the scrolls, those look awesome. I don't own "Rocks" by Hound Dog either.

^^^^ indicates change in scene.

Rocks

_Song lyrics_

_Come on!_

_owareru youni isoi de iru_

_kawai ta mune ga kari tateru no sa_

_hito kiwa tsuyoku kagayaku hoshi wa_

_ima mo tooku ni aru_

_ushinatte yuku motome nagara_

_ubawa rete yuku atae nagara_

_dare no tame de naku dare no mono de naku_

_ore tachi no ima ga_

_omoi kasane yume o kasane hibi o kasane_

_ase ni mamire namida korae chi o tagi rase_

_tatakau koto mo aishi au koto mo_

_haruka hikari no On the way_

_ura kitte kita shin ji nagara_

_kitsuke te kita inori nagara_

_dare no koto de naku dare no sei de naku_

_ore tachi no ima wo_

_itami hodoki kokoro hodoki kage o hodoki_

_iki o tsunete hashiri nukero yami o saite_

_kana shimu koto mo yume o miru koto mo_

_owari wa shinai On the way_

_omoi kasane yume o kasane hibi o kasane_

_ase ni mamire namida korae chi o tagi rase_

_I wanna ROCKS mune ni ROCKS_

_English Translation_

_Come on!_

_As if you are being chased, you are in a hurry_

_This dry heart is screaming_

_This stubbornly burning star_

_is still far away_

_I have been losing while I'm seeking_

_I have been robbed while I'm giving it_

_For no one, no one's property_

_This is our "now"_

_overlap our feeling, overlap the dream, overlap the days_

_sweating, holding the tears, stirring the blood_

_fighting and loving _

_it's just a far light On the way_

_I have been betraying while I'm believing_

_I haven't been hurting while I'm praying_

_It's no one's business, it's no one's fault_

_Our now_

_untie the pain, untie the heart, untie the shadow _

_hold the breath, run through the darkness _

_feeling grief and dreaming _

_will never end On the way_

_overlap our feeling, overlap the dream, overlap the days_

_sweating, holding the tears, stirring the blood_

_I wanna ROCKS in the heart ROCKS_

Naruto ran through the streets of Konoha, jumping up on the roofs occasionally. His team had just come back from their mission at the Land of Waves, and it had been an exciting, scary adventure. Naruto knew that that hadn't been enough for him, he'd finally gotten a true look at what being a ninja really was, and he wanted those types of missions now. No more D-rank missions for him, he'd decided.

He was on his way to meet his team. He was just so excited when the roof they were meeting on came in sight that he did a few front flips.

"YES!" Naruto leapt on the roof beside a slightly irate Sasuke and a startled Sakura. "Naruto Uzumaki is here!" He touched his forehead protector and gave his teammates a grin.

Sakura recovered first. "Naruto, you BAKA! Stop being so loud!" She punched him on the head.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto groaned, holding his head "That hurt..."

Sakura sniffed. "That's the point!" She said, exasperated. "Why are you so happy today, anyway? It's freakin ten in the morning and Kakashi-sensei STILL hasn't shown up. We've been here since SIX!"

Naruto winced "Ohh..why did you come so early? You know Kakashi-sensei will be late. He's always late."

"Yeah, well…" Sakura spluttered "Sasuke-kun and I are professional ninja! We know that we're supposed to show up on time!"

"Being professional does NOT mean you have to show up on time." Said a familiar voice behind them. "Anyway, I have a valid reason this time!"

Sakura turned "YOU'RE LATE!" She yelled.

Kakashi stood there, looking at them sheepishly. "Well, you see, I…"

Naruto leapt up. "Kakashi-sensei!" He said happily. "Let's get on with this mission, it's going to be awesome!" He stuck his fist out.

Kakashi gave a little smile. "Sure." He said. "Now, we've been given another C-Rank, since we were so successful with the other one. There are a string of bandits that have been repeatedly striking an area close to here. We're to arrest them and bring them back to the village. How's that sound? You'll have to be ready to fight, but these won't be ninja so it won't be as hard as our last C-Rank. Any questions?"

"No!" Chorused the three Genin.

"Let's go!" Naruto added, with a huge grin on his face. He had just been thinking about getting harder missions! Naruto knew he was getting stronger, more powerful and felt like he could now be called a true ninja. He was one step closer to his dream!

^^^^**scene change**^^^^

"Team 7, what are your positions? Over."

"Sasuke here, at point A, on top of the tallest tree in our area. Over."

"Sakura here, at point B, behind the big rock a few feet away from your position, sensei. Over"

"….."

"Naruto? Naruto, report your position please."

"zzz.."

"NARUTO!"

"Ow! Jeez, Sakura-chan. You didn't have to yell so loudly! You made me fall!"

"That's the point, you idiot!"

"Hn. Loser."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY? Why I outta.."

"Calm down kids, we're on a mission and we're getting ready to attack. Now, Naruto, your position please?"

"Point C, fell down from my place on the tree next to their hideout because **somebody **yelled a little too loudly…"

"SHUT UP, BAKA! What are you doing sleeping, anyway? We're on a mission!"

"I was all excited this morning, now I'm burned out cause I didn't get enough sleep last night and…"

"Team 7! Get ready, the targets are heading this way."

"Right."

"OK, I'm ready, let's do this!"

"Hn."

"Wait for it…right, Sasuke, go!"

"On it."

^^^^**scene change**^^^^

Sasuke leapt into battle, running over to where the bandits where standing. He dealt one a good kick and knocked him out. The rest of team followed, Sakura managing to incapacitate one with her kunai, Kakashi bowled his opponents over with ease (not using his hands and arms, he'd made a bet with Naruto that he wouldn't ), and Naruto sending them over with flying kicks and wild punches.

Suddenly, a giant of a man showed up. He roared, ripped up a tree, and threw it towards the little group. They all dodged, Kakashi having to assist Sakura because her reflexes weren't all that great yet.

"Let me take him!" Naruto yelled, running up and forming his hands in the appropriate seal.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

A couple of clones popped into existence and ran for the big guy. They all went in for a valley of kicks before the real Naruto ended it with a punch to the face.

The giant was knocked into the water and lay there. Unmoving.

Naruto staggered up, out of the water. "Oww…"

He heard a sigh above him. "Come on, loser."

He looked up. Sasuke was standing on the lake's edge, holding out his hand.

A little way behind him Kakashi was tying up the remainder of the bandits, and Sakura was standing there, chatting animatedly of how much a success this mission had been.

Naruto looked up at Sasuke's hand and smirked, then held out his own in a fist.

"Not until you fist-bump me." He said. "Come on, don't leave me hanging."

Sasuke, to his surprise, complied quickly and slammed his fist to Naruto's waiting one.

"Hey!" Naruto said delightedly as Sasuke pulled him from the water. "I actually got you to fist-bump me. Ha! I ROCK!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Hn. Whatever."

"Hey Naruto! I won the bet, defeated those bandits without using my arms AND while reading my book. You owe me a meal at Ichiraku's!"

"OI! BAKA! I still can't believe YOU ACTUALLY FELL ASLEEP!"

Naruto grinned up at them. Yes, life as a ninja was definitely getting better.

Better skills, better smarts, better reflexes and, well…

It was a whole lot more fun too.

(**A/N**: Yup, sappy team 7 moment…this whole opening was one, actually. If you haven't seen the video for this, do that and this'll make a lot more sense.

Anywhos, I'm going to be away for a week or so, so there won't be any new chapters out for a little more than a week. I'll try to have the next one out as soon as I can. Please REVIEW!

**Review Responses:**

**misstressinwaiting: **Thanks! I really love Obito, him with that attitude was a lot of fun to write… :) Did that seem in-character to you?

**Anivla01: **Thank you! And I get where you're coming from…Minato might very well be in the Shinigami's stomach. I don't think it was outright said that he would be punished for using it, so I'm going to assume here that you just die normally when using Shiki Fuujin. Hmm..it's something to think about though, thanks for the heads up! :)

**BKwriter: **I know, right? They would have had such awesome friends. It's sad really, that Obito died just when they had discovered that friendship. They have something Sasuke and Naruto just don't, but will hopefully get later on. I could imagine what Obito would do when he sees Kakashi again. "YOU RIPPED OFF ON MY LINE!" *punch* XD

**PuppetMaster55: **Yeah, I'm betting Minato really was watching all that. I could just imagine the look on his face when he sees that Kakashi chose Naruto to tie to the post..:) As for writing that, do I smell a side story? I'll definitely put that up as an idea, thanks for pointing that out! :D

**Bulla49: **Thanks! I hope you keep on enjoying these chapters. :)

See you all next time!)


	7. Ending 1: Wind

(**A/N**: Hi guys! I'm back! And I'm ready to keep my stories coming, so get ready for another chapter. This is going to be the chapter on the first ending theme, "Wind" by Akeboshi. It's a beautiful song, in my opinion. It highlights a lot for the Naruto series. Next will be episode six, and this story will get back on track.

Oh yeah, I have a question. Is Minato really stuck in the Shinigami's stomach? I'm writing a side story for chapter 5 to include Minato's point of view, so I want to know where he is. Plus, I was thinking, should I make that a humor story or a serious story? Hmm...I think I'll make it a bit of both. If you have any preferences, please let me know!

I have big news! This story was C2'd! I'm very flattered, thank you **Deaths-child** for adding this story to your community!

Anyways, big thanks to **misstressinwaiting, Bulla49, **and **PuppetMaster55 **for your reviews! And thanks to all my loyal readers for sticking with me this far. Enjoy!)

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto. I am writing a **fanfiction**. Therefore, I am a fan, not the author. I don't own "Wind" by Akeboshi either.

**Wind**

_Song lyrics_

_Cultivate your hunger before you idealize._

_Motivate your anger to make them all realize._

_Climbing the mountain, never coming down._

_Break into the contents, never falling down._

_My knee is still shaking, like I was twelve,_

_Sneaking out of the classroom, by the back door._

_A man railed at me twice though, but I didn't care._

_Waiting is wasting for people like me._

_Don't try to live so wise._

_Don't cry 'cause you're so right._

_Don't dry with fakes or fears,_

_'Cause you will hate yourself in the end._

_(Repeats)_

_You say, "Dreams are dreams._

_"I ain't gonna play the fool anymore."_

_You say, "'Cause I still got my soul."_

_Take your time, baby, your blood needs slowing down._

_Breach your soul to reach yourself before you gloom._

_Reflection of fear makes shadows of nothing, shadows of nothing._

_You still are blind, if you see a winding road,_

_'Cause there's always a straight way to the point you see._

_Don't try to live so wise._

_Don't cry 'cause you're so right._

_Don't dry with fakes or fears,_

_'Cause you will hate yourself in the end._

_(Repeats)_

Naruto ran, his tiny legs pumping, running as fast as he could go. It was times like this, when he wanted to just get away from everything that he went to his favorite place.

The tiny, abandoned swing set was situated just outside the academy. It was in a state of disrepair, the board used for a seat was splintered in several places, and the rope holding the seat to the tree looked like it would snap at any moment. Usually, parents didn't allow their kids to use the swing, so it lay mostly abandoned, shadowed by the huge tree above it that hid it from view more often than not.

Naruto didn't mind that, however. To him, the swing was perfect. It hid him when he wanted to be hid, raised his sprits when he was sad and it was fun to play on too. Plus, he felt a small connection with the swing. He knew what it felt to not be wanted, and he liked coming to play on the swing to feel like he wasn't alone, that somebody knew how he felt. Which Naruto knew was kinda stupid because swings weren't real people, but that's just how he felt.

Naruto was panting by now, still trying to run but the stamina of a 6-year-old doesn't really hold out for long. To his relief, the roof of the academy was just ahead. If he squinted really hard, he could just see the fraying rope that held it up.

He didn't want to be alone anymore. Today, some kids he knew from the Academy had called him a monster. It was an offhand comment, something they must have picked up from their parents, but it had hurt. It had hurt a lot. So, he'd run towards the swings to try and take his mind of things.

He was nearly there when he saw it.

He saw a butterfly. That in itself wasn't out of the ordinary. But this butterfly was beautiful. It was painted in bright colors, and was flying freely through the air, right in front of him.

So Naruto, like all six-year olds, decided to chase that butterfly. He knew he would never catch it, but he tried his hardest to do that. Because Naruto Uzumaki never gave up.

The swing and his troubles forgotten, he chased after the butterfly, laughing hard, and swore to himself that he would catch it someday.

"Naruto?"

Naruto woke up with a start. "What?" He mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

Sasuke and Sakura were standing next to him. Sakura knelt down. "Are you ok? You looked like you were having a nightmare or something."

Naruto sat up and put his hand behind his head. "I'm fine!" He said with a grin. "Cause I've realized that I'm not gonna cry anymore! I'm going to be me and try my hardest from now on! If I don't, I'm going to hate myself in the end."

Sakura looked confused. Sasuke, however, nodded wisely. "That's good. You're finally motivated." He said. "Now, are we going to do this?"

Naruto clutched his Chunin exam form tightly. "You bet!"

He wasn't scared. He was going to keep chasing that butterfly. Naruto had all but forgotten that moment until now.

He wasn't alone anymore. And that was the most important thing.

(**A/N**: How was it? I really recommend you see the video for this one, it's pretty amazing. I've realized that these last two have been Naruto-centric, and this is because these songs are very much about Naruto. The next one is going to be about him too, because he has a truly epic moment in the next episode.

Anyways, enough of my rambling. Please REVIEW!

**Review Responses:**

**misstressinwaiting: **Thanks! I thought it was pretty cute too.

**PuppetMaster55: **I am so going to do a side story! It's going to be a lot of fun, however I want to know if Minato is in the Shinigami's stomach or not. Let me know if he is, thanks!

**Bulla49: **OK, I've updated! Thank you for following this story!

See you all next time!)


	8. Episode 6: Journey to the Land of Waves!

(**A/N**: Hi people! This chapter is finally back to episode 6, and this features what I call a character's "First epic moment."

Most of the characters in Naruto have many epic moments, but all of them have a first one. This one here is Naruto's. He did that whole kunai thing, and I was like "Wow!" because that was awesome, it took a lot of guts. It was one epic moment of many.

Sasuke's "First Epic Moment." is when he did the "demon-wind shuriken" thing. Kakashi's is when he looked up at Zabuza with his sharingan on, and Sakura's is when she cut off her hair in the Forest of Death. Those are pretty much the soonest ones that are coming up.

Anyways, enjoy!)

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I would get on with the war already and not drag things out in the manga and anime.

**A Dangerous Mission! Journey to the Land of Waves!**

"You scardey cat!"

Sasuke's mocking voice echoed in Naruto's head. "Scaredy-cat!'

Sasuke had saved them all from those two ninja. He had saved Tazuna, their client, who had been depending on him. He had saved Sakura, proving yet again to her that he was more worthy than Naruto.

Sasuke had saved _him_.

This was what Naruto couldn't forgive himself for most of all. He couldn't be indebted to Sasuke, he wouldn't be! Hadn't he proclaimed that he was going to be Hokage? Future Hokage did not need to be rescued by their teammate. Naruto was sure of that. Even Kakashi-sensei had shown disappointment in him, saying "I'm sorry; I didn't think you'd freeze up like that."

Why did he freeze up like that? He had known that they would be attacked by enemies. Why hadn't he been ready?

He'd even gotten hurt. Naruto glanced down at the bleeding cut on the back of his hand with disgust. This was going to be a burden now, Kakashi-sensei was talking about taking him back to the village to get it fixed.

Naruto hated that wound right now, he hated it so much. He would **not** let one measly cut ruin everything he'd worked so hard to achieve!

So, without further ado, Naruto picked up his kunai and plunged it into the dreaded cut in the back of his hand.

Sakura gasped.

Kakashi-sensei widened his eyes slightly.

Tazuna actually took a step back.

Sasuke looked horrified.

Naruto grimaced.

It hurt. It hurt a lot, but Naruto knew this move would get the poison out without needing to go back to the village.

Blood rushed down his hand in torrents. _"Wait until all the poison is out…"_

Naruto gripped the kunai more firmly. "I swear, on this kunai," He began. "That I will beat Sasuke! I will never have to be saved again, by him or anyone else!"

They were all staring at him in shock now. They'd underestimated him, Naruto could tell.

He looked up, right into their faces, and gave a pain-filled grin.

"That's a promise!"

It hurt, but Naruto would do it again if he had to. He would not be a burden again.

He would do it again if it would get his teammates' respect.

After all, seeing Sasuke's face like that had been quite a sight.

Who's the scaredy-cat now?

(**A/N**: Woah..heavy much? I suppose this is going in the "angst" category. It's a bit depressing that Naruto had to physically stab himself with a kunai to get some respect from his team, huh? I could see this being a potential psychological problem. Anyone who wants to take this idea and make it a fanfic has my permission to do so.

Oh, and I know what Naruto said wasn't straight out of the actual episode. I added some of that to fit the story, call it slightly AU if you wish.

But that was one epic moment. I love this part…if you watch it again; take a look at everyone's faces when he stabs the kunai in. It's pretty hilarious. 

So anyway, REVIEW! And a heads up for the new Naruto chapter and episode, they are out Thursday.)

**Review Responses:**

**PuppetMaster55: **I agree. Thanks for that, it really helped! I'll just have Minato up there with Obito and Rin. It'll make the story a lot more fun.

**Bulla49: **Yes, that is very true! That's one of the things I love about his character. He just doesn't give up. xD

See you all next time! :)


	9. Episode 7: The Assassin of the Mist!

(**A/N**: Hi everybody! I'm finally back on track with this, sorry it took so long to update! I've been working on "Once Upon a December: Uzumaki Style!", so yeah.

This chapter's going to be pretty short. I hope it's good enough, it's from a point of view of a character that I've never seen used before.

Thanks to **Bulla49 **for reviewing. And thanks a bunch to all the people who favorited this story, you guys rock.

Anyways, here it is! Enjoy! )

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I would start this war already! Jeez…

**The Assassin of the Mist**

Hop. Hop.

The little white bunny was leaping merrily along the bushes, its little heart soaring with joy and happiness.

He was free! That tall, intimidating human with the big sharp weapon had told his owner to let him go. And he was savoring the freedom, no matter how many carrots his owner gave him, he wanted so much more to be free.

He was nearing a clearing now. He saw a group of humans being led by a small male in…orange? The bunny gave the rabbit version of a snort, twitching its nose upwards in disgust. Humans were weird.

The young orange male was followed by a pink female who was screeching at the top of her voice. This sound tickled the bunny's sensitive ears. He didn't like loud noises.

Following the female was a…dark male. The bunny didn't know how to describe him; even though he was pale, his aura was dark and scary. The bunny didn't like that, he hopped backwards a step. Following the scary young male was a much older one. This one was wise, the bunny could tell, as he was watching the world carefully, looking for any signs of predators.

The orange male was gesturing wildly, walking around and staring into bushes at random. The bunny tried to make a quiet escape to enjoy his freedom, but the minute he moved, something hard slammed into the side of his head, and he knew no more.

****POV change*****

Naruto stared down at the innocent white rabbit he had just injured.

"NOO! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry!"

He cradled the little injured rabbit, looking absolutely horrified.

Sakura yelled at him. "You idiot! Now look what you did!"

Tazuna snorted. "All this fuss over a rodent?"

A tall figure some way over in the trees hid, watching them bicker. He got ready to strike…

"Get down!" Kakashi yelled, as a huge sword spun from the trees.

The group ducked, and the sword stuck on to the bark of a tree, quivering ominously from the impact. Standing on the tree was a tall, intimidating figure.

"Zabuza Momochi…"

In all the commotion, nobody noticed a small white rabbit, getting up rather unsteadily from the ground. It shook its head once, then quietly hopped away to explore his newfound f reedom elsewhere.

(**A/N**: How was it? I've always wondered what happened to that poor rabbit. XD

Again, this chapter has quotes and stuff that are not directly from the episode. Also, I believe that the bunny died in the actual episode, which sucks. But he now LIVES! :D

Anyways, please REVIEW and I'll crank out another chapter as soon as I can!

**Review Responses:**

**Bulla49: **I'm glad I brought back the memories! After writing some of these, I went back and watched a few of the episodes myself. Let me tell you, it was pretty nostalgic. XD

See you all next time!)


	10. Episode 8: The Oath of Pain!

(**A/N**: Hey! Here's episode 8. There are so many moments in this one, and I didn't know which to pick. So, I'm making it about Naruto again. :P

Thanks to **Bulla49, PuppetMaster55, **and **KitsuneNaru **for your reviews! They are much appreciated.

Enjoy!)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto. If I did, the drawings would be stick figures and it would not be a bestseller manga.

The Oath of Pain

Naruto stood up slowly, still feeling the burn of the wound on his hand.  
He whirled around to face Zabuza, who was staring at him with an almost-amused look on his face. He tied his headband on securely. This was what he'd worked his butt off for years to get, and he was NOT going to lose it.

It was then Naruto made a promise to himself. He was never, ever going to even consider running away again.

So what if he got killed? He was a ninja, and ninja don't fear death. He was growing to grow strong enough to defend himself anyway. All the Hokage needed to learn how to do that.

He directed his attention to Zabuza. "Hey you, the freak with no eyebrows! Put this in your bingo book. The ninja that will become Hokage of the village hidden in the leaves...He never backs down. His name's...Naruto Uzumaki!"

That should have gotten the message across loud and clear. The look on Zabuza's face was hilarious, and Naruto would have laughed if the situation hadn't been so serious.

And it was serious; Kakashi-sensei was captured, Sasuke was panicking slightly, and Sakura…well, she wasn't ready for this battle. Not yet. It was up to him to save everybody. Naruto knew that he couldn't do this alone, however.

"Let's go wild." And he meant it.

So he caused a distraction, (He'd always been good at those.) and quickly henged himself into a giant shuriken.

"Sasuke!"

As much as he hated to admit it, Naruto knew Sasuke was the best person to work with at this point. He was smart enough to figure out the plan.

And he had; he'd caught on very quickly. This was the first time Naruto had been able to work like this with other people, effortlessly and quickly understanding his teammate's movements and actions. Naruto supposed this was true teamwork.

Which was awesome, but did the other guy have to be Sasuke? He really hadn't been planning on working with _him _so well.

Sasuke threw him (the real him) in the shadow of an enormous shuriken.

Wait for it...NOW!

Naruto released all the clones he had created, and ended up behind Zabuza.

He grinned triumphantly, flinging a kunai at Zabuza's hand. "Eat this!"

It was then Naruto felt his first true victory. His first win against an enemy ninja that he had…outsmarted, out of all things. Weird.

He let himself fall into the water, smiling. He'd done wonderfully, but he felt like it was better to let Kakashi-sensei handle the rest.

He'd done a lot today, after all. And Naruto was sure that, with his newfound courage and promise to never run away, he was now a step closer to becoming Hokage and achieving his dream.

END

(**A/N: **What do you think? Was that totally pointless? Because I have a feeling it was.

I loved this episode, because it's the last time you ever see Naruto scared. Like, at all. He's grown a lot since this episode…wow. I showed three things in this chapter: his first experience with danger, his first experience at teamwork, and his first victory against a vastly superior ninja.

You have to admit, Naruto was awesome here. Because he outsmarted a ninja that was much older and more experienced than he was. Also, there were a few hints to how amazing a team Naruto and Sasuke make, they really work together very well. (sighs) Too bad that didn't last…BRING SASUKE BACK, MASASHI KISHIMOTO! He isn't my favorite character, (actually, I don't like him much) but it's moments like this that really make me appreciate him.

Anyways, enough of my venting. Please REVIEW and tell me what you think! I have 400 plus of these chapters to write, so if nobody likes it I might stop!

**Review Responses:**

**Bulla49: **Yeah, I always wondered what happened to that bunny. Thanks for your wonderful reviews, they're always constants! :D

**PuppetMaster55: **That has got to be the best reaction I have gotten out of anybody…XD ,That made me laugh too. Thanks for the review! *hands over gigantic m&m-filled cookie*

**KitsuneNaru: **Thanks! :) You've got a very interesting avatar, by the way.

See you all next time! :D)


	11. Episode 9: Kakashi: Sharingan Warrior!

(**A/N: **Happy New Year, everybody! Wishing you all a wonderful 2011!

I have decided to release the new chapter today in honor of New Year. So here's episode 9, featuring Kakashi Hatake. Enjoy!

Thanks to **KitsuneNaru, Bulla49, **and **PuppetMaster55 **for reviewing! )

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto. I do own a Naruto plushy, however. And multiple other figurines and shirts and DVDs.

Kakashi: Sharingan Warrior!

"Now you _die!_"

Zabuza flung a shuriken right at Naruto, a look of crazed anger on his face. Naruto watched the arrival of the weapon tensely; freefalling into the water really didn't give you many options to move.

However, the weapon never hit its mark.

CLANG

The sound reverberated across the lake, and Naruto fell into the water, unharmed. There, blocking the shuriken's path, was the hand of Kakashi Hatake, face turned towards the ground.

Zabuza frowned. _Damn, forgot about him…_

Big mistake.

Kakashi looked up, and Zabuza saw the sharingan swirling, the red glow reflecting eerily on the shuriken's blade. Zabuza started a little.

It wasn't the sharingan itself that startled him; he'd been expecting to see it. What he hadn't expected to see, however, was the _anger _in Kakashi's eyes, the pure _rage _that was reflected in their depths.

What Zabuza had ignorantly assumed was that Kakashi Hatake, like most ninja, was not one to show emotion. That the reason the Copy Ninja was so successful was that he was able to block out those irritating emotions completely.

But Kakashi Hatake was not like most ninja, he was different, he was _powerful. _He did not hide anything; he let his feelings aid him. Zabuza hadn't realized that emtions could _help _you in battle, but now…

Kakashi's eyes started him down, he had attempted to harm his comrades, and he was going to die. Those eyes promised him _pain. _

Zabuza swallowed nervously. Was this the true strength of the Copy Ninja? The need to protect his comrades, no matter what? He backed up a little, and prepared to fight.

Zabuza knew he was going to witness Kakashi Hatake's true power. He knew it would be unbeatable, he knew he would _lose; _those eyes had told him so. He knew that he would be experiencing a battle like no other.

He was expecting nothing less.

(**A/N: **My first Kakashi chapter! What did you think? Was it too much? I don't know, I always thought Kakashi fought better when his friends were in danger. He learned that one from Obito.

When I saw this for the first time and Kakashi raised his head and we saw his eyes, I kid you not it chilled me. He looked so angry, and it was awesome. I knew Zabuza was going to get pummeled. For sure.

Hmm…this chapter was a little short, but these are drabbley-type stories, so I guess that's the point, huh?

Please REVIEW and tell me what you think! Thanks!

**Review Responses:**

**KitsuneNaru: **Why thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying these!

**Bulla49: **Thanks! I always like to write clear battle scenes, it usually confuses me when something is not said outright, especially in a fight. (That rhymed! XD)

**PuppetMaster55: **You're welcome! XD. And I do love Naruto vs Zabuza, it really shows the awesomeness that will later be Naruto vs Pain, vs Kakuzu, etc… It's amazing to see how much the story has evolved, don't you think?

See you all next time! :D)


	12. Episode 10: The Forest Of Chakra

(**A/N: **Hi everybody! I'm back after a very long break. I'm sorry for the long-ish hiatus, I recently had my end-of-semester exams. This is pretty much one of the first times I've had to update.

This chapter's going to be a little different. It isn't going to be a character study as much as a setting reflection. This episode gives off a very different vibe than the others, being somewhat calming and reflective. Also, I wanted a different take on why it's called "The Forest of Chakra"

Thanks to my alerters, **Anivla01** ,**Batamut** , **BKwriter** , **Bulla49** , **KitsuneNaru** and **Naruto 98**.

Thanks to all my favoriters, **Anivla01**, **BANE19**, **Bulla49**, **Mickey-Phil**, **mistressinwaiting**, and **Naruto 98**.

A big thank you to **Bulla49 **and **mistressinwaiting **for your reviews! They are greatly appreciated. :D

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto. Heh, I wish. Even I could get the plot moving on from the complete standstill it's on now D:

The Forest Of Chakra

The Forest thrums with life. Thus it has been since the beginning of time.

The Forest has seen it all. It has sensed every chakra form to enter the world. It has lived through the times of the Sage of the Six Paths, and witnessed the introduction of the use of chakra to the human species, the creation of ninja and Tailed Beasts. It observed the creation of the Hidden Villages, and the epic battle of Madaraa Uchiha and Hashirama Senju. It has seen every Kage come and go, has sensed the suffering of every Jinchuuriki, felt the sacrifice of every ninja and warrior.

The Forest blesses all those who enter its depths to learn. It's seen too much not to appreciate the importance of education, the learning of every individual on the specifics of the very chakra that connected them all. However, it has never remembered or felt a group as strongly as the one that entered now.

In the calming void that was chakra, the Forest sensed the arrival of four individuals. Three males, one female. Three children, one adult. Two rivals. Four friends. One team.

The Forest was disrupted of calm for a moment. Nobody had ever entered with such an impact before. The chakra in all four was startlingly strong. An air of destiny hung over all four, yet it was concentrated both on the team and on each individual.

One had a gray hue to its chakra. The kind that appeared to one who had seen too much, the one that hid every feeling of joy and despair. This one was older than the others, but the role he had to play would certainly affect the future tragically if gone wrong. This one, however, had to be the teacher. The unready, uncertain instructor to the children of the future.

The next had a pink chakra, light, bright and content. This one would be tested many times, broken, and then fixed again. Although this one would be pivotal in the last, desperate arc of the next generation, this particular being would be yet another spectator to a much bigger fight.

The Forest actually shuddered slightly, submitting under the powerful chakra and aura of fate surrounding the next two individuals. This was _them. _Madaraa and Hashirama. First son and Second son. Dark and Light. Similar, yet different. Two sides of the same coin. The children of fate, who's fight was destined to change the world. This was _them_.

One, the first one, had a black chakra. Well, not black, the Forest surmised as it dug deeper. It was actually a dark blue. This blue could be mistaken for black when viewed from a distance, but upon closer inspection, the navy hue was visible. This one had a sad fate, full of misery and darkness, with choices that would have to be wrong to have been made correctly.

The last one was different. This was _orange, _bright even from a distance, full of life and energy, hopes and dreams. This chakra danced around like fire, with a presence so powerful it was hard to ignore. However, buried deep in the orange was red. An evil bloody red, separate from the orange yet the same. It seemed like they were meant to be one, like one existed to host the other and keep it in check. The power was so apparent it radiated off like heat.

The Forest expected great things from this one.

As the unsuspecting group walked into the Forest, it realized that it had just seen something great in the making. It rippled gently, sending waves of chakra over the group.

_You're going to need it._

The Forest thrums with life. Thus it has been since the beginning of time.

It's seen too much. Too much to remember.

But this? This was _something._

This was hopes and dreams, the fate of the future, and powerful gifts.

This was _everything._

END

(**A/N: **That was certainly different. I always thought the place was special to be called the "Forest of Chakra", so it's my take on it. Please tell me what you think!

**Review Responses:**

**Bulla49: **He was awesome in that battle, huh? Thanks for reading :)

**Mistressinwaiting: **Thank you :D

See you all next time!)


	13. Episode11:A Land Where a Hero Once Lived

(**A/N: **Hey guys! Yes, I realize that it has been FOREVER since my last update, and I am incredibly sorry. Thing is, I am working on three stories at once right now. As such, I've decided to work on "Once Upon a December: Uzumaki Style!" for now and pause the others. But since I felt that would be incredibly unfair, I bring you one more chapter of this before a long-ish hiatus! I will get right back on track with this after completing "OUAD: US!" for now. Thanks for your continued support and patience!

Thanks to **Bulla49 **and **misstressinwaiting **for the reviews! You guys are awesome :)

**Disclaimer: **Yeah, right. I wish.

The Land Where a Hero Once Lived

"Dad! Dad, tell me a story. Please!"

The small black haired-boy was quivering with excitement, bouncing up and down on his toes. "Please!"

A low-throated laugh sounded from the man at the doorway. "Calm down, Inari-chan. If that's what it'll take to get you to sleep, then maybe."

Inari pouted. "Not sleepy!" He argued, but at the suddenly stern look bounded into the bed instantly. "I might sleep if I get a story…" He hinted, staring at his as-good-as-father with pleading eyes.

His dad, Kaiza, grinned, settling himself down at the edge of Inari's bed. "Sure, champ. What'll it be today? Pirates? Sorcerers? Princes? Ninja?" Inari giggled, flinging his legs around. "I want a story about a hero today, daddy!"

Kaiza's face turned serious for a split second before transforming into its usual grin. "Hero it is, champ. Now, make yourself comfortable and listen up!" He cleared his throat a few times, glanced at the boy, and then began.

"Once upon a time, in a land not too far away, there lived…"

Inari interrupted "A hero!"

Kaiza shook his head. "Not quite. There lived a small boy. He was a normal kid, liked to play with his dog, fish, kick around a football. But the boy had a secret…"

"He was a super-powerful ninja!"

"No, didn't I already say he was normal? This boy was afraid of the water. He didn't like to swim; he always was scared he would drown whenever he looked down at the sea he lived next to."

"Like me!"

"Yes, like you champ. Now, this boy had a beautiful mother who was the prettiest woman on the island. She was so beautiful that an evil lord wanted to marry her. So, the evil lord devised a plan. He captured this boy's beautiful mother and held her captive on an island across the sea the boy lived in. This way, the boy couldn't save his mother."

"He's so mean!"

"You don't know the half of it. Now, the boy didn't know what to do. Should he face his fear and save his mother? Could he?"

"Did he?"

"Well, the boy began to cry out of frustration. While the boy was trying to decide what to do, somebody passed by and saw his dilemma..."

"Was it his dad?"

"No, it was someone like him: someone who wanted to be a hero, who was taking to steps to becoming one. This person advised the boy to do always what was right, and to do his best in everything. He also reminded him that crying was better kept for happy times."

"And?"

"And the boy suddenly realized that he had a whole village to help him out. So he bravely ran over to every house and banged on every door, and convinced the villagers to help him build a raft."

"A raft? Why?"

"So that he could ride over the sea to where his mother was. He arrived at the evil lord's manor having conquered his fear."

"And then did he beat up the evil lord and his sidekicks?"

"No, he was a _normal _boy, remember? He can't do any of that! No, he confronted the evil lord with everything he had, and kept on fighting for his mother, even if he knew he would lose."

"That's stupid!"

"No, that's not. He fought for his precious person. In fact, he fought so hard that he impressed his friend. The one he'd met earlier, who also aspired to be a hero. So, the friend came and saved the boy and his mother and brought him back."

"And?"

"And the boy –now a hero- returned to his life happy, and had conquered his fear of water. The end."

"Wait, what?" Inari yelled. "That's it?" He hunched down on his bed and humphed. "No fair. That boy wasn't a hero! He didn't do anything cool!"

Kaiza laughed. "All heroes start somewhere, Inari. And he was a hero. He did the right thing and fought with everything he had. And although you make think the friend is the actual hero, in many ways it was the boy. He went through the most to fight for his family."

Inari cocked his head to the side. "I don't get it."

Kaiza sat up and ruffled his hair. "You will, champ. Now go to sleep." He stood up, turned off the overhead light and left Inari to his thoughts.

A few minutes later, Kaiza stuck his head back in "Inari?"

"Yeah?"

"When the other one comes, the friend, remember what I taught you. Okay?"

Inari smiled widely. "Of course, dad. I promise!"

END

(**A/N: **Well, how was it? I know it wasn't my best, but I did want to give you guys something after such a long wait. Anyway, please REVIEW and tell me what you think!

**Review Responses**

**Bulla49: **Thanks! :) Hopefully, you haven't abandoned reading this story yet/

**Misstressinwaiting: **Thank you :) I miss team 7 too…:( I'm sorry you found it a bit boring, but the romance will come soon. Especially when we reach shippuden, have I got things planned out for then! :D

See you all next time!)


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